Two Men and a Mermaid
by iguanablogger
Summary: AU- Ezio Auditore's been a little down on his luck since his family died, and nothing's really been working out. But when he convinces his best friend Leonardo to go exploring with him, they make an incredible discovery... Ezio x Rosa AU- set Venice, 1480
1. Prologue

"What did you say your name was, again? Clauditore?"

"Auditore, _Messere_." Ezio mumbled meekly.

"You are fired, Auditore! Fired!" The merchant was furious, his round face flushed redder than the meats he sold, "I have never seen a worse assistant! First, you nearly toss my produce in the canal, and then you hit on my daughter. You've insulted my customers and NOW-" The man paused to inhale, eyes burning with rage "-Now you've fallen asleep on the job!"

Ezio had nothing to say in his defense. He merely lowered his head and looked as ashamed of himself as possible.

"I wash my hands of you," Tournabelli muttered, shaking his head, "I pray you will find work elsewhere! Good day, _Signore_ Auditore!"

With that, the shorter man turned away and walked off, grumbling to himself about the youth these days. Ezio sighed and stood from his stool, leaving the meat stall where it was. It wasn't the first time his employer had made a spectacle of un-employing him. Barely twenty-one and Ezio had already managed to lose more jobs than he could count.

As he slowly made his way back home through the crowded Venetian streets, Ezio wondered what he could possibly try next. As a jack-of-no-trades, finding someone to take him was difficult. Though he was a fast learner, not many had the patience to teach him their craft, and he often became distracted. Being distracted in Venice, he later found, was a fatal move.

He blamed everything on the fire. Five years ago, the Auditore family had been visiting friends in upper Firenze when a maid spilled an oil lamp and started a blaze. The flames from the lamp quickly engulfed the curtains of the room, and from there the walls. Ezio, his little sister, and his mother had fortunately been downstairs at the time, but his father and brothers were not so lucky. They were in the exact room where the fire had started, and had a hard time getting out. Giovanni Auditore sacrificed himself to save his two sons, Federico and Petruccio, by throwing them from the fiery inferno. Unfortunately, by that time the fire had spread to the roof, tearing through the supports. The upper floor of the house collapsed- and while Ezio and his mother and sister escaped, Federico had not. Petruccio had struggled through the charcoal beams that killed his brother, and Ezio remembered every detail of the boy's soot covered face as he embraced his smallest sibling. Petruccio died that night due to ash lodged in his lungs.

Ezio shook the memories away. That was a long time ago. After the fire he'd managed to hold a job in Firenze for at least two years, and it paid enough to support himself and his surviving family. However, a co-worker had been jealous of his success, and arranged his removal. Ezio tried to protest to his employer, but the man had already been bribed. When the last Auditore was finally fired, he left Firenze with his best friend, Leonardo, and came to live in Venice. It was in Venice that he found no luck with work. Ezio was rather close to giving up by the time he'd reached his friend's studio.

The depressed young man knocked twice and entered, not surprised to see Leonardo writing in his notebook, backwards.

"Ehi, Leonardo," He said blandly.

"Fired again, eh?" The genius asked.

Ezio nodded and collapsed onto the bench across from him. "I'm giving up, Leonardo. Nothing works."

"Ezio, I think you just need some inspiration," Leonardo said distantly, still writing, "You need to find something you like. You need an outlet."

"You sound like my mother." Ezio groaned, sinking into the wood and letting his shoulders sag. "I'm good looking. Why won't anyone hire me?"

"You cannot control everything, my friend," Leonardo continued, not looking up, "Some things are just up to fate. Life is like a sailboat- you must go where the wind blows you."

"Sailing…" Ezio mulled, closing his eyes, "Hmm…"

Silence settled on the two men easily. Leonardo had been the one thing in Ezio's life that remained constant. He'd known the man for six years, ever since Donna Auditore had begun investing in the young painter's talent. When his family died and he'd been yanked from his only source of income, Ezio took to Leonardo like a fine wine, visiting him as often as possible, confiding in him when he needed to talk to someone and, eventually, moving in with him when he lacked the money to pay his rent. When Leonardo announced he was moving to Venice, it was naturally assumed that Ezio would come with. Now, the Italians had been roommates ever since, and extremely good friends.

"Hey, Leonardo," Ezio's brown eyes brightened and a smile lit his face, "That's it! Sailing!"

"_Cosa_?"

"We'll sail! We'll get a boat and explore!" Ezio exclaimed, grinning broadly now.

"I think you have truly lost your mind this time, my friend." Leonardo said blankly, staring at the madness taking place before his eyes.

"Leonardo," Ezio laughed, tapping his fingers on the bench, "We live in a city of water. _Il Mare Mediterraneo _has been calling out to me all this time, and I never knew it!" 

"No," Leonardo corrected, "what has been calling out to you all this time has been the voice of common sense. And you've been purposefully ignoring it."

"Everyone's doing it these days," Ezio continued, leaving Leonardo's remark alone, "Who knows? We could discover something valuable! Or perform a daring feat of wonder out on the high seas!"

"Wait," Leonardo frowned, "Are you suggesting we become pirates, or that we fight pirates?"

"I'm talking about _life, _Leonardo!" Ezio cried, "Adventure! Romance!"

"Hold on," Leonardo interrupted again, "I think you've had enough romance for a while. That's what got you fired last year, remember?"

The young man shrugged and smiled in that adorable way that made the artist's temperature rise. "It was worth it." He said simply.

"Well, then, you know what?" Leonardo smiled back, taking his friend's hand in his and patting it, "You can go off and explore. I'll be here waiting with a psychiatrist when you get back."

"You're coming with me," Ezio said, freeing his hand and staring at his companion, completely serious, "You know that, right?"

"Ezio, unlike you, I actually have a life," Leonardo sighed, rubbing his temples, "I can't just go off for god-knows-how-long exploring desert islands with you."

"Oh, because the commissioners are just banging down your door?" Ezio asked sarcastically, biting annoyance in his eyes. Leonardo looked away, not wanting to admit he was right. For the past few months, the artist had been unable to find a patron. In fact, he'd been quite idle and had used his time to catch up on some research. Truthfully, Leonardo didn't have a good reason to turn Ezio down. And, he figured, it wouldn't be long before Ezio decided he didn't want to be an adventurer after all. Maybe he could go with him, just this once…

Leonardo took a deep breath, accepting defeat, "Alright, Ezio," He said, "But this is the only time I'll-"

"_Va bene!" _Ezio cheered, slapping the artist on his shoulder. "Wonderful! You stay here and pack some food and equipment- I'll go get us a boat."

"Now?" Leonardo blinked, "We're leaving right now?"

"Meet me at the San Marco docks in two hours," The younger man replied, grabbing a sack from the nearby counter and stuffing some unexamined objects into it. Leonardo watched dumbly as his best friend slammed the door, skipping into the street.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Leonardo kept the appointment and arrived at the docks on time, though he hadn't a clue why. As he scanned the sea of faces, he couldn't make out Ezio's tall features anywhere. No Ezio, no boat. Perhaps he'd found a pretty girl halfway down the block and thrown the whole plan out the window? Leonardo sighed and tapped his foot, readjusting the heavy bag over his shoulder.

He turned to his right, noticing a barge there. The captain appeared to be just stepping out of his cabin, the crew preparing to safely dock the large ship. The painter considered asking them for their services when he heard a familiar voice.

"Ehi, Leonardo!"

Ezio's exclamation sounded from the water. The inventor took a few steps forward, shading his eyes with his hand as he searched the port. He gasped- Ezio was piloting a gondola with a couple, a man and a woman, sitting calmly in its passenger seat. Leonardo watched as Ezio docked the small boat and assisted the upper-class citizens onto the pier. The blonde-haired man approached him, raising an eyebrow.

"See?" Ezio said, gesturing to the gondola, "I got us a boat! And look-" he jangled a small pouch of florins in front of Leonardo, "I paid, too."

"Ezio Auditore," Leonardo said flatly, "You cannot possibly expect us to sail the seven seas in THAT."

"Why not?" Ezio wondered, "it's a boat. It goes on water. It has an oar."

"It doesn't even have sails!"

"So? What good are sails," The taller man scoffed, "Always need to be adjusted, always blowing you off course."

"What about a crew?"

"What do we need a crew for when there's two of us?" Ezio reasoned, "We need a mutiny? Someone to steal our treasure?"

"Oh, so we're finding _treasure _now?" Leonardo hissed through gritted teeth.

Ezio shrugged, "Come on, Leonardo, just get in the boat. I'll steer."

"Ezio Auditore, why do I put up with you?"

"Because you love me?" Ezio offered, smiling adorably.

Leonardo grumbled to himself as he climbed into the boat.

"_Brillante! _We're off!" The dark-haired man yelled in glee as he dipped his oar into the water and dislodged them from the pier.

"I just know I'm going to regret this…" Leonardo moaned quietly as they set off into the vast unknown…


	2. I

The Mediterranean sea, though filled with sparkling water of the purest blue, eventually began to look dull and empty. It looked especially boring when they left the shore behind them, much to Leonardo's anxiety.

"Ezio," He'd tried to reason, "it's a known fact. Sailors who swim away from the shoreline never come back. The universal rule is to always keep the shore in sight!"

The younger man snorted and stubbornly thrust his oar farther into the water, "What kind of explorer never leaves home? How do you expect us to discover anything if we never leave _Italia?" _

"Hey!" Leonardo's eyes widened, "You never said we were leaving _Italia!"  
><em>Ezio shrugged, "Well, we're not really leaving it. We're coming right back. Trust me, Leonardo, we'll be home by sundown."

"Why, oh why don't I believe you…" The other man groaned, tentatively running his fingers over his temples.

They paddled on and on, bobbing back in forth in the small waves as the sun slid across the sky. Leonardo had been wise enough to grab a notebook and some charcoal, and was effectively entertained by sketching the clouds and the relative movement of the sun. After a couple of hours though, Ezio finally stepped down from the oar and took a seat on the bench. The two men were utterly alone, with land no where in sight. Just water, and lots of it.

"I can't lift my arms," Ezio complained when Leonardo handed him a roll to eat. "_Dio, _I am in so much pain…"

"You can whine all you want, but I'm not taking over," Leonardo replied as he took a bite of his lunch, "You're the one who couldn't be bothered to get an actual boat."

Ezio did not respond, and instead focused on munching his food. From then on the men ate in silence, the only sound being the sloshing of the water around them. Soon the food was finished, and the clean water Leonardo had brought went with it.

"Now what?" Leonardo asked.

"We have to keep going," Ezio answered, grimacing, "But it's so hard to move…"

"But, Ezio, even if we could get this boat moving," Leonardo frowned, "where would we go? We're lost."

"We are not lost." Ezio said quickly. He turned around and pulled a small map out of his bag. "See?" He pointed to a drawing of Venice. Then slid his finger away from the city, somewhere out to the right. "We're over here."

"So then you are suggesting that if we simply turned the boat around, we'd land in _Venezia?" _Leonardo responded skeptically.

"_Si, _why not?" Ezio looked up, eyes full of sincerity.

Leonardo shook his head, "Alright. I'll turn the boat around, you rest."

"Wait, why are we turning around?" The younger man asked, alarmed, "We haven't discovered anything yet!"

"Ezio, we had no reason to come out here in the first place," Leonardo snapped as he stood, carefully making his way to the oar, "I'm done playing your childish game and I want to go home."

"But-" Ezio cried.

"_Basta!" _Leonardo said, gripping the wooden instrument in his soft hands, "And I hope the soreness in your arms reminds you of this the next time you have a stupid idea!"

The painter tried his best to flip the boat at a straight one-hundred-eighty degrees, but with the waves coming in from all angles it was hard work. He did succeed in turning it, but he couldn't tell which direction exactly the gondola was facing…

He shrugged hopelessly and just kept rowing. He rowed for half an hour before he gave into his muscles, who by that time were screaming to be released. Leonardo plopped onto the bench, breathing heavily. He lifted his eyes and noticed Ezio leaning over the boat with his water skin.

"Ezio, what are you doing?" Leonardo asked cautiously.

"What does it look like?" The dark-haired one replied, "I'm refilling your water-skin."

"With _that _water?" Leonardo laughed incredulously.

Ezio turned, annoyed, "What's wrong with salt water?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, if you don't mind dying a painful death." Leonardo smiled tiredly.

"I don't understand," The Auditore grumbled, deflating the skin and placing it back in Leonardo's bag, "Here we are, surrounded by an ocean of water, and you won't let me drink a drop!"

"It's poisonous, _imbecile!" _

"You have been complaining this whole expedition, Leonardo!" Ezio snapped back, frustration taking hold.

"That's because this whole expedition has been stupid!" Leonardo yelled back, face flushing, "We're both lost in the middle of nowhere with no one to help us, and no food or water! Now what, eh?"

"For the last time, Leonardo!" Ezio shouted, "_We are not lost!" _

The argument was interrupted as a large wave of water suddenly splashed over the two, fizzing them out. A smaller splash echoed off the boat's right side, and both men leaned over to get a better look.

"What do you think that was?" Leonardo whispered.

"I don't know," Ezio replied, "A large fish, maybe?"

The older man thought. A large fish… The idea was plausible. No man had ever succeeded in recording every single fish that swam in the great Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps they had discovered something after all- that is if they could catch it…

"Do you see anything, Leonardo?" Ezio asked, nudging him as he dipped closer to the water, squinting his dark eyes.

Leonardo focused, but he couldn't make out even the slightest silhouette of a marine animal. No tail darted through the water, no scales glinted in the afternoon sun. It was truly as if there were nothing there. Then what could have caused that splash? It was large enough to cover the gondola, so whatever made it had to be big…

"_Al diavolo,_" Ezio sighed finally, defeated, "I can't see anything." However, when the younger explorer turned back to his bag, he noticed something very odd.

At first Ezio gave out a small gasp of surprise, but then his expression underwent an interesting change. His features morphed from surprised, to confused, to thoughtful, to hurt, to angry.

"Oh, very well done, Leonardo." He grumbled, staring accusingly at the artist in question. 

"What?" Leonardo finally pulled himself back into the boat.

"I see what you did, there's no use trying to hide it."

"Ezio, did you drink the water?" Leonardo frowned, "I think you may be delirious."

Ezio shook his head, "_Basta! _You threw a rock over the side of the boat, and then you took my money pouch!"

Leonardo was now genuinely confused. So many questions were popping up in his mind he couldn't organize them fast enough to ask them.

"How could you? You were like a brother to me!"

"Ezio," Leonardo began calmly, "we've been on this gondola together, in the middle of nowhere, for _hours, _without ever touching land. Where could I _possibly _have gotten a rock?"

"You could have easily found one wedged between the benches." Ezio reasoned stiffly.

"And that little rock caused a huge wave that drenched us both?"

"Words cannot get you out of this, Leonardo!" The younger man shouted, face growing hot, "If you did not steal my pouch, where is it?"

"You probably dropped it into the water without realizing." Leonardo explained coldly, hurt that his friend would accuse him so lightly.

"It's always my fault, isn't it?" Leonardo's comment only seemed to fuel Ezio's frustration. The Auditore stood, approaching the engineer carefully.

"Yes, Ezio," Leonardo found his patience had dried up, "it's always your fault. Is that what you want me to say?"

Suddenly, the dark-haired one leapt on his blonde companion, rocking the boat dangerously. He yelled out something unintelligible as the two began to struggle. Leonardo eyes were wide as saucers and it was all he could do to keep Ezio's fists away from his face as the fight progressed. It seemed the younger man was beyond reasoning, and before Leonardo could stop him he rolled to the right, causing the gondola to swing sideways. It would have capsized if Leonardo had not quickly yanked Ezio back onto it and thrown their collective weight to the left.

Water seemed to restore Ezio's sanity and he blinked hard. Leonardo panted and squeezed some of the warm liquid from his tunic. His hat, thankfully, had remained dry.

"Are you happy now?" He gasped, glowering.

"Leonardo, look at this." Ezio replied, eyes alight with wonder as he held up a large, round shell. It seemed only a bit bigger than a soup-bowl, and it would easily fit on one's head.

"It's…" Leonardo stammered, surprised at his companion's sudden mood change. Perhaps it had been the sun that caused him to act so hostile, and once cooled the real Ezio had returned. "It's beautiful. How did you get this?"

"When the boat rolled over," Ezio explained, "I saw it floating nearby. So I grabbed it. Isn't it amazing?"

The shell was crusty on the outside, bearing an interesting rim of shells near the bottom. However on the inside, it was as smooth as marble and warm to the touch.

Leonardo nodded when he received the object, running his palms over it. "Indeed it is."

"Now, I wonder just how much this will sell for at the Venetian market?" Ezio asked slyly, coaxing a small smile from his friend.

The moment was shattered when the gondola suddenly lurched onto its side once more, only this time neither man had moved. Two pairs of eyes turned, widened with fear, to rest on the enraged face of a woman who appeared to be clinging to the boat's port.

"Give me back my hat!" She demanded angrily. Her voice was thick and commanding, with a very threatening undertone.

Leonardo watched in mute shock as Ezio replied, "We do not have your hat!"

The woman's scowl deepened.

"And you can't have his!" Ezio added, haphazardly gesturing to Leonardo.

"Liars!" She shrieked, "You say you do not have my hat, yet he is holding it!" The wild woman pointed a long-nailed finger at Leonardo's white face.

The artist gulped and glanced into his lap. There sat the green shell that, if looked at properly, could actually be a hat.

"Is this…Is this what you are looking for?" Leonardo asked quietly, holding up the object. The young woman nodded curtly and Leonardo made to give it to her, but when he extended it a pouch fell out- to the alarm of all three.

"Hey!" Ezio recovered first, "That's my money!" He grabbed it quickly before it could slip off the railing and into the water.

"What was your money doing in her…?" Leonardo began, but trailed off as his mind met the conclusion first. The bright look in Ezio's dark eyes told him he'd met the same end.

The woman's expression fit somewhere between guilty and indignant.

"You're a thief!" Ezio accused, more bewildered than angry, "You're the one who made the splash and grabbed my pouch!"

"So what if I did?" She protested, squirming along the gondola's side, "You're just as much a thief. You stole my hat!"

"And we are willing to give it back," Leonardo interrupted, spreading both hands to calm his companions, "for a favor."

"A favor?" The woman repeated incredulously, "You _bastardi _have done nothing to earn a favor from me!"

"But if you don't oblige us, we won't give you your shell." Ezio continued.

"Then I'll capsize your boat and take it." She replied darkly.

"I actually think you do owe us a favor, seeing as you tried to steal from us for no good reason." Leonardo explained gently.

The woman had no response to this.

"So," The engineer proceeded, "either you will apologize to us, or…You will lead my friend and me back to _Venezia._"

"What?" Ezio looked at him, distressed, "But we're not-"

Leonardo hushed him immediately and returned his attention to the very strange looking woman. As she thought, apparently having an inner battle, he studied her. She was fascinating; her face was not foreign, bearing a small, pointed nose, almond eyes, and a thin lipped mouth. Set into that face were a pair of deep green irises, and framing her troubled expression were locks of dark hair that ended jaggedly, as if their owner had cut them much shorter herself. Her skin was very pale, and she seemed to be wearing an interesting bodice of seaweed around her torso. Her arms and neck were bare.

"Well?" Leonardo prodded, "What will it be?"

She groaned, "I will lead you to _Venezia…" _

_ "Molto bene,_" Leonardo nodded, "Here is your hat." She snatched it from him the moment it was in reach, rocking the gondola somewhat.

"I am sorry my friend pinched it from you."

Ezio glared at him, but the woman had no response. Instead she merely popped the shell back into place on her head and relinquished her grip on the boat's side, allowing it to move back into its natural position. She then disappeared beneath the water, prompting both men to lean over the side to find her.

"Over here, _idioti,_" She called from the opposite side of the gondola. The explorers turned, flabbergasted at how quickly she had traveled. "Venice is this way."

They sailed in silence, as the woman refused to answer any questions they posed upon her, and one had even earned them a filthy look: '_why don't you come in the boat'._ So all the men could do was wonder who this beautiful _donna _was as she led them back home, and what business she could possibly have in the middle of the ocean.


	3. II

Ezio stared at the map unblinkingly, yet the information seemed to be stopping halfway to his brain and turning tail. He was set up at Leonardos spare bench in the studio while the artist worked elsewhere. Giving up on the map, Ezio let his mind wander. He thought about the note he found at the studios door.

It had been from one of his old friends, who wished to catch up with him. Shed come by earlier, it said, but he was not around. She wanted to know how he was doing these days. Ezio wrote back about his expedition, and how he may be out for several more days, seeing as they have yet to make a major discovery.

And yet Ezios thoughts drift to the womans face, angry and indignant and she placed the shell on her head. Who was she? What was she doing there, and why? What sort of thief only steals at sea? So many questions, and the young man could only picture one place to get the answers from

"Hello? Ezio?" Leonardo's voice suddenly penetrated his inner thoughts, "Can you hear me?"

"Wh-what?" Ezio turned around, alarmed. He relaxed at the sight of Leonardo's frown.

"Ezio, if I didnt know any better, I'd think you were..." Leonardo tapped his finger to his chin as he considered, "well, thinking." He finished delicately.

"Nice," Ezio scowled, but then shook himself and returned to business, "Although to your shock, Leonardo, I have been thinking."

Leonardo took a seat beside him, perfect image of a caring friend. "About what? Having trouble with your new line of work?"

Ezio shrugged, "Something like that."

Silence passed between the good friends as the younger considered different ways to express his deep revelations. Finally, he settled on the right one, recapturing Leonardo's gaze.

"You know when we went sailing-"

"-Paddling, technically." Leonardo interrupted, smiling.

Ezio sent him a very pointed glare. _Do you want to talk to me or not? _

Leonardo looked somewhat remorseful, but kept his smile, "_Mi despiace, _please go on."

"Remember when we went sailing a couple days ago, and that weird lady robbed me?"

Leonardo made no reply. Instead, he continued to stare at Ezio as though he were still speaking. After a few more moments, he nodded sagely.

The Auditore rolled his eyes, "You can speak now, Leonardo."

_"Si, _I do remember." Leonardo replied lightly. At the look he received, he winced and said, "Okay, okay, I'm stopping!"

"If you will just take me seriously for one moment, Im trying to make a point!" Ezio muttered. Finally, Leonardo shook his head and agreed to stop his interruptions and silliness. Still, Ezio waited long enough to punish his childish friend for his impudence before continuing.

"I sort of..." Ezio hesitated. Then he tried again. "Don't you ever?"

"You want to go back and see her again, dont you?" Leonardo offered.

"Yes, exactly," Ezio answered, brows arched, "but how did you-"

"Oh, Ezio, you silly boy," Leonardo chuckled, patting his friend on the back, "I knew it from the very beginning of this conversation! But its alright, because I was planning to go back out and see her myself."

"Y-you were?" Ezio stammered.

"Indeed," Leonardo continued, standing, "in fact I have already prepared most of the equipment, including a few extras this time."

"But why?" Ezio was rather puzzled.

"Probably the same reason you were going to," Leonardo's voice became distant as he reached the other end the small room, grabbing a few objects from the desk there. He turned back and aimed a helpless shrug at his companion, coupled with a small smile. "Curiosity."

"Oh." Ezio said simply. Leonardo had planned to go back out to the ocean after all. Well, that saved the trouble of having to convince him. At ease with the simple explanation hed been given, Ezio climbed to his feet and grinned. "Then what are we waiting for?"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The sea was even calmer than it had been previously, if such a thing were possible. There was a slight chill in the air, so the constant warmth of the sun was welcome on the two explorers. This time, Leonardo had agreed to do the paddling for the first leg of the journey, and Ezio would man their return to Venice. There had been some complication as to when exactly they'd reached the exact same spot of random ocean theyd been floated in when they met the strange woman the first time, but after a long and unreasonable amount of drifting, both men agreed they were properly lost. As this was part of the plan, Ezio did not complain. Instead, he felt an odd sense of foreboding. Something wasn't right, and he and Leonardo were just about to discover it.

Suddenly, Leonardo put a little too much extra weight into the oar and slipped a bit. When Ezio moved to help him, he noticed a strange glint coming from his friend's bag.

"Leonardo, what is this?" Ezio asked absently as his fingers began to pull at the opening to the thin sack. The Auditore found the answer first-hand before the engineer could explain.

"Eh," Leonardo laughed nervously when he saw Ezio's scandalized expression, "It's probably not what you think."

"A scalpel?" Ezio accused, eyes narrowed, "An extra-large scalpel? How could that be 'not what I think'?"

"That was just in case she agreed!" Leonardo said defensively, making a grab for the sharp instrument. Ezio held it back with a glower. "Believe me, I wouldnt dissect anything without-"

_"Dissect?" _Ezio repeated in outrage, "You wanted to _dissect _her?"

_"Dio! Thats not what I meant to say!" _Leonardo shouted as he made another desperate lunge for the scalpel.

_"Il mio culo, _your curious!"

Their argument was interrupted by a large splash that soaked through both sets of clothes and, unfortunately, Leonardo's hat.

"Boys, boys, calm down!" The woman's voice scolded them as she latched onto their boat for the second time that week, "No one can sleep down there with you two making a fuss!"

"Down there?" Ezio repeated, all pretenses with Leonardo forgotten as he focused on the stranger with the shell-hat, "What, you mean like hell 'down there'?"

"No, shut up." The beautiful woman replied flatly. Ezio found that her exotic features were one of the traits that had lured him back to sea.

Leonardo, on the other hand, was far more excited about a different set of her features. His scalpel had fallen to the floor, and as he raised his head up from retrieving it, he called out: "It's such a pleasure to see you again, _madonna!"_

"Is it?" she remarked dryly before noticing the shiny knife in his hand, "What do you _bastardi _want?"

"Ah well, you see, my dear," Leonardo began happily, "this little object is the reason I've returned to bother you. See, I have my suspicions tha-"

"-We just wanted to talk." Ezio clarified, plastering his hand over his companion's flustered mouth.

If she was not deceived, she hid it, "I'm afraid I cannot stay long, then."

"Why not?" Ezio asked.

"It's not that I dont enjoy your glorious presence," the woman explained, clearly annoyed, "there is a very strict law amongst my people: 'thou will not converse with an Earth-walker.'"

Ezio stared at her blankly.

She rolled her vibrant green eyes, "I'm not allowed to talk to you, idiot."

"Oh," Ezio said, allowing Leonardo to regain control his lips.

"But why can't you talk to us?" Leonardo insisted, "Why the rule?"

"I can't tell you that," the woman shook her head, "as it stands, I have told you too much."

"Are you going to leave again?" Ezio asked her seriously.

"Yes, I am." She replied tiredly, beginning to sink in the bright water. "Good day to you, _signori."_

However before she could disappear, something very strange happened. So strange it immediately captured the attention of both Leonardo and the stranger.

Ezio sighed and began to unbutton his shirt. His companions watched, mystified, as he proceeded to remove his boots as well.

"May I ask what you're doing, Ezio?" Leonardo asked after a few moments of shared confusion.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ezio replied, frowning. "If she's going to run, I'm going to follow her. I haven't asked any of my questions yet."

"I've already told you!" She groaned, "Even if you do follow me, I cannot talk to you! I cannot answer your questions!"

"Why?" Ezio asked simply. Before she could answer, a small smile worked its way onto his lips, "Because of a rule. That's why."

"What's your point?" She asked dangerously. Ezio grinned.

"How long have your people had this rule?" He pressed on.

She shrugged, "A while, I suppose."

"And has anyone ever broken it?"

"I dont know!" She glared.

"Well, if you're too scared, you don't have to-"

_"-Basta," _she interrupted suddenly, "What did you say?"

Ezio's smile widened until it could've challenged a Cheshire cats. He leaned closer to the edge of the gondola. "I said," he repeated, "that you're afraid of the rules."

"You didn't..." She whispered fiercely.

"You're a goody-two-shoes," he proceeded, lavishing his victory, "a daddy's girl. Little miss perfect! Wouldn't dare step a toe out of line, never act differently!"

She stared at him, the scowl gone from her face and instead replaced with something Ezio found he rather liked: a twisted smile. "So since you obviously lack the _gusto _to answer a few simple questions, I suppose I'll just-"

He was in the water before he'd had a chance to close his mouth, which sort of backfired on his part. Thin fingers were wired around his arms, dragging him down, down. Ezio studied his captor and his eyes widened considerably. Her legs...

She swam faster than a dolphin, kicking down with her enormous webbed feet. Her legs were long, scaly things of the sage-green persuasion. Somewhere around her waistline, the slippery green surface melted away into flesh and wraps of seaweed.

As she continued to carry him deeper into the sea, Ezio could only watch the fading sunlight filter through her many fins. The way she swam showed off her perfect balance, every single movement an act of grace. It was a type of beauty he'd never witnessed before, and because of it, he failed to notice his lungs had run out of oxygen.

His eyelids drooped and he let the scaly water goddess drag him into a thick, black fog...

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ezio awoke to a sharp pain in his back, as though he'd fallen asleep on a pile of rocks. As he coughed and spat water, he found that he had in fact been lying on a rough patch of stone in a cave somewhere surrounded by water. When his eyes had ceased their swelling, he looked around to find the mermaid sitting beside him, legs curled up so that they resembled a glittery green tail.

"Oh, good," She grinned mischievously, "you didn't die."

"I've been working on that one lately." He panted. Looking around again, he realized they were in a small, underwater lagoon. The walls were plastered with corals and weeds, and Ezio sat on a large rock that served as a respite from all the water.

"This is my secret room," She explained, patting the rock, "only my closest friends even know about it." She paused, sending him a pleased glance, "how's _that _for a rule breaker?"

"Okay, I'll admit," Ezio laughed shakily, "I'm impressed." He pulled himself closer to the coral-studded wall, leaning against it. Through the silence that drifted between them, Ezio found it was hard to stop himself from staring at her legs.

"In case you haven't noticed yet," she said when she turned to him, "people here are a little different than they are where you come from."

"How so?" He asked, eyebrow cocked playfully.

She almost laughed, "Well for one thing, I could get exiled right now if I'm seen with you."

"Why? I'm serious this time."

She sighed, "It's that many of us have experienced loss at the hands of your kind. Fishing nets, scientists, pollution, they are all threats that you generate. Our leader is trying to protect us by keeping our two species separate."

"Do you agree with him?" Ezio asked.

The young woman considered his question briefly. "No, I suppose not. How are we to grow if we cannot exchange ideas? How can we ever compromise if we live our whole lives in fear? I do not think isolation is the answer..."

Ezio looked down at his lap, thinking. It was such a strange concept, to accept that they shared the sea with a race of individuals just as sentient as them. The mermaid seemed to be wondering about it too, and the air was heavy with it. After a while, Ezio decided to act.

"Am I at least allowed to ask for your name?" He asked sheepishly, smiling just a little.

She returned the gesture, "I...I dont have a name in the human-language."

Ezio nodded and turned his head against the wall for second. He saw something there that he'd missed before- while most of the other flowers had been spongy and coral-grown, a single white blossom cracked through the wall. The Auditore plucked the plant from its perch and stroked its soft petals. He inched closer to the mermaid and quickly inserted it between her fingers. She looked up at him, confused.

"How about 'Rosa'?" He suggested.

"What is that?" She asked, puzzlement turning to amusement, "What does it mean?"

"It's a very pretty type of flower that grows where I live." He explained.

The mermaid considered. Then finally, she smiled and said to him, "I think I would like that."

"Then it's decided," he nodded solemnly, "My name's Ezio, by the way."

"Ezio..." Rosa tried the name out on her tongue, "And what does that mean?"

"Well, it's a bird," he started out.

"Oh, I've seen birds," she continued, "they are always white, though."

"'Ezio' is not a white bird," he laughed, "those have been seagulls, _cara."_

Rosa blushed, "How many types of birds can there be?"

"Many, many types of birds," Ezio said, "I'll show them to you someday."

"That'd be nice." She replied.

They sat together for a few more moments until Rosa said: "I think you should get going."

"I may need your help with that"

This time, Ezio took a deep breath before Rosa pulled him into the water and took off at incredible speeds, soaring to the surface. They reached the gondola just in time, as Ezio felt his chest burning unbearably. Leonardo dragged him onto the boat, coughing and sputtering.

"Ezio!" He called out in surprise, "I nearly thought you'd drowned!"

"I almost did", Ezio croaked, turning to say goodbye to his mermaid friend. However by the time he'd looked over the side of the gondola, all he could catch was a flash of green beneath the waves.

**_AN- super duper extreme apologies, audience! For some reason I can't understand, decided to delete all punctuation from this chapter, and I've only just gone through editing it. If you find any glaring grammatical errors, I don't know what to tell you. Only that this website is cruel and unusual, and I nearly had a heartattack reading what it did to my writing... :'( _**

**_Thank you for your patience! _**


	4. III

It had already been a week, but Ezio still had trouble wrapping his head around what exactly had taken place in that little underwater cove. Since their first meeting, Ezio and Rosa had slowly begun to learn about each other. What they learned was that they were both drifters- Ezio due to his dead family, Rosa to the strict laws imposed by her leader. Neither had a certain future, or even a goal to aspire towards. For the past few days, Ezio had rowed them out to sea, Leonardo sitting there with his notes and charcoal, and Rosa would meet them. And they would talk. Strolling slowly down the semi-crowded streets of Venice's _San Polo_ district, the young man went over the facts he'd picked up in his head, so distracted that he didn't notice the red-head until she was practically yelling in his ear.

"Hey!" The girl said loudly, "_Italia_ to Ezio!"

"Hm?" Ezio shook himself, blinking as he turned to face his caller.

She smiled sheepishly at him, "You were staring off into space for so long, I was scared you'd fallen asleep! I didn't mean to wake you so noisily…"

"It's fine," Ezio replied absently, waving a hand. Sofia relaxed visibly.

Sofia Sorto was an old friend of his; a young woman with curly locks of auburn hair, soft brown eyes, and large, pink lips. As she was a noblewoman, Sofia often dressed elegantly and today was one of those days. Ezio was four-and-a-half years her senior.

Which was about the same number of years since they'd met. When Ezio had come to Venice after the destruction of his family, he'd had some trouble finding work. The Sorto household was his first job, and it paid well. Ezio worked there for almost a year and half as a librarian, as the wealthy family was very big on literature and they needed and organizer who could read. During his pleasant time there, Ezio had made acquaintances with Sofia, the household's only child. Sofia was a curious thirteen-year-old at the time, a girl who adored a good mystery. As a lover of books herself, Sofia already spent hours upon hours at the library, even before Ezio had been employed. However once he did start showing up there every day, smiling sweetly at her and helping her reach stacks of writing too high, Sofia decided she wanted to know more about this strange young man who wouldn't talk about himself.

Ezio hadn't thought much of it, and when he was let go due to a brief financial crisis, the girl almost completely slipped his mind. Only in recent years had she begun to take a more personal interest in him, which he found he couldn't shake off.

"Did you get my notes?" She asked suddenly, "Well, they're more like letters the way I keep adding more at the ends," She laughed at herself, "but you got them, right?"

"_Si." _Ezio answered. Distantly, his mind recalled that he had in fact discovered several pieces of paper lying on his desk (Leonardo had finally given up trying to get it back) when he'd returned to the studio, yet he could not remember having read them. He merely knew the sender and the main expression that the messages bore.

"Oh, were you going somewhere?" The red-head stepped aside daintily, "I'll walk with you- I don't want you to be late because of me."

"That's thoughtful of you," Ezio replied truthfully as the two began their stroll to the studio.

As the young couple proceeded, the only sound between them was the tapping of footsteps and the sloshing of the canal water in the distance. A seagull called now and then, or a pigeon cooed as they passed a tree. If he listened carefully, Ezio could even detect the loud advertizing of the merchants at the _mercato di San Marco. _

_ "_So, Ezio…" Sofia began, breaking the silence, "I heard about your expedition. How is it going?"

"Fine." He answered simply.

"Have you… Discovered anything?" Sofia prodded.

Ezio considered for a moment, then decided not to tell her. "No, nothing too unusual yet."

"Well, I'm sure you and your friend will come up with something soon." She told him, then paused as if to form her next few words. "You know what I've been doing while you've been sailing without a care in the world?" the question was spoken teasingly, but still held some bite.

"What?" He asked.

"Scheduling interviews with my wannabe-husbands," Sofia replied, smiling. Finally, she succeeded in capturing Ezio's attention and he stared at her with arched brows.

"You're getting married?"

"Soon," Sofia nodded, "my father told me I could pick whichever suitor I found worthy, so long as he had a brain in his skull."

"And what if he has no brain?" Ezio grinned.

"Oh, I don't have to worry about that," Sofia chuckled, "I already have an idea of who I'm going to pick."

"Really?" Ezio said, surprised. Before he could ask her more about it, he'd noticed that they'd reached Leonardo's studio. He started to open the door, but remembered his manners instead.

"Eh, Sofia," he turned slightly, "would you care to come in?"

"I would be only too happy," Sofia mock-curtsied briefly and then allowed Ezio to open the door for her.

As soon as her feet had crossed the threshold, Leonardo's mad mutterings could be heard. When the door closed behind, the inventor finally addressed them:

"Ezio? Is that you?" His voice came from one of the farther rooms.

"_Si, _Leonardo!" Ezio replied loudly.

"Ah, wonderful! I've made some amazing finds!" Footsteps sounded, along with the rustling of many papers, "The beings are not actually fish, but are instead mammals! They live underwater, but breathe air just like the rest of us. Their lungs are similar to those of a dolphin or-"

Leonardo stopped dead when he reached the parlor to find Sofia's frowning face.

"Eh," Ezio cleared his throat, aware that he had made a mistake by bringing Sofia, "Leonardo, this is my friend, Sofia Sorto."

Leonardo dropped several papers on the floor. They landed face up, revealing full diagrams of mermaid legs.

"Hello." The engineer said in a tiny voice.

Sofia turned around, "'beings'?" she repeated with a cocked eyebrow.

"Um,"

"So you lied," She explained, not upset but clearly unhappy, "you _have _discovered something."

"Well, it's nothing too strange-"

"Nothing too strange?" Sofia said flatly. She pointed a finger at Leonardo's sketches, "He just said they 'aren't fish', yet these drawings show a tail."

"No, these are of something else!" Leonardo answered quickly, gathering all the pages together in a frayed mess, "What Ezio and I found is completely different!"

"Really?" Sofia asked. She didn't sound convinced. "Why don't you tell me what really happened, Ezio?"

"Okay, okay," He sighed, "Just don't tell anyone, alright?"

"You have my word," Sofia smiled victoriously.

"When Leonardo and I went out to sea the first time," he began, "we found something. It was… a fish. A very, very large fish with a shape you can't imagine. It looks almost nothing like the fish we see here in the market. We are pretty sure this fish is completely undiscovered, so we are keeping it secret until we know exactly what it is."

"I see," Sofia relaxed, "And what Leonardo announced so brightly when we entered was-"

"Not at all included in our expedition," Ezio covered quickly, "it's just one of his projects. I can't explain, I don't even understand it."

"I have one more question," The red-head inhaled. Ezio braced himself:

"What will you call it?" The hostility and distrust appeared to have faded from Sofia's face, and now she looked only curious.

"Um," Ezio lightly scratched at the hair on the base of his neck, "I…haven't really thought about it."

"Well, if I am ever to see this 'fish'," Sofia smiled, "I would like to name it. Or at least to suggest something to you two brilliant explorers."

"That's… considerate of you." Leonardo told her emptily.

"In fact, I wonder…" Sofia tapped her lips, thinking, "Do you boys plan on returning to _Il Mare _today?"

Ezio shifted uncomfortably. He'd wanted to see Rosa again this afternoon… But lying to Sofia twice in a row would prove extremely risky.

"We do." He answered.

"Ah, perfect," She beamed, "do you have room for one more?"

"I suppose we do…" Ezio replied. In truth, he did not want her to come- with Sofia on board there was no way he'd be able to visit Rosa. But he knew he had no good reason to deny her, and Sofia was nothing if not persistent. Yes, allowing her to come would be the right move.

"Wonderful!" Sofia giggled.

"Ezio," Leonardo began, moving closer, "I can't go with you this time."

"Why? What's happened?" Ezio wondered, frowning in concern.

"I have a patron to work for," Leonardo explained sadly, "I'll come tomorrow, but I haven't even started on the commission and it's due next week."

"_Capisco," _Ezio nodded. "Good luck, my friend."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ezio never claimed to be a sailor, but even to him it did not seem like a good day to be out on the water. The sky was overcast, the wind was more unpredictable than ever, and the sea was choppy. Nevertheless, he stuck the gondola's only oar deep into the thin liquid, propelling them forward again and again and again, all the while searching for Rosa's green tail. This was not their usual meeting spot, but Ezio had taken care to stay close, as it was the only random stretch of ocean he knew how to escape from without getting lost.

He was so busy searching for that flash of green that it took him a while to realize that Sofia was speaking. Flustered, he shook his head and forced himself to pay attention.

"…For as long as I'd like, but…I _trust _you, Ezio." She laughed at herself again, "Isn't that crazy? I've only known you for four years, and I feel I can tell you anything."

"Sofia…" It was the only thing he could say.

"I hadn't known a true friend until I met you. All the other rich girls," she scoffed, "couldn't stand me. I was so…different. My father always told me that was okay, that I should be proud of myself for who I am, but I don't even think he believes that _merda. _Everyone laughed at me."

Ezio stared into the water. Not to find Rosa, but to avoid the terrible longing that softened Sofia's features.

"But then I met you. Every day I could count on you to be there, waiting for me with a smile. Always with a smile. You were the dawn of a thirteen-year night. Suddenly I had the strength to endure the teasing and sneering, so long as I could come home to you. Without you…" She paused.

He didn't know what to say. It had only been a job. Was it possible that just by giving someone a friendly 'hello', he had completely changed her life?

They had reached their destination. Ezio climbed down from the oar and sat across from Sofia on the gondola's bench. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Ezio," She said, keeping very voice steady, "I know I have to marry, my father has forced me. And I know that you are a smart, resourceful man. And I know that even if you don't love me, I will always love you."

"Sofia, I…"

"Please, Ezio," Sofia crept closer, placing her hand over his. Her eyes pleaded with him and her cheeks were flushed, "say you'll marry me."

Shock. He was just shocked. His body went stiff and his eyes widened.

"I can't love anyone other than you," she continued, shaking her head, "I've tried. But all those suitors were just…They couldn't…" She stumbled in her desperation. "You lied to me before, but it's okay. I know why, and I don't hold it against you at all."

Ezio thought. He thought hard. Sofia wanted to marry him… She was pouring her heart out right before his eyes. How could he possibly refuse her?

But Rosa…

"Please."

He would say yes. He loved Rosa, truly, but he knew that they would never be together. Even if he did convince her, somehow, to betray her people and live with him, she would never be human. Her legs would always bear those terrible scales, a constant reminder that she is not one of them. He couldn't marry her.

Sofia was rich, to put it bluntly. If he married her, he would never have to work again. But not only that- it would make Sofia happy. She clearly loved him more than anyone else, probably even more than Rosa ever did. They would be happy together, and he knew it. It was for the best.

"Of course, Sofia," he whispered, taking her hand, "I will marry you."

Under the boat, Rosa's eyes stung brutally, and it wasn't the water that caused her such pain.


	5. IV

Waves, seagulls, bells tolling. These were the sounds that replaced the gentle buzzing and breathy winds that had been the backdrop of Florence. Whenever Leonardo came to the old pier, he reflected on that. He really hadn't seen ocean, or even a large body of water, until he'd come to Venice. Always rolling hills and green forests… Venice was so… different. He'd never exactly become accustomed to the stench, but he could feel himself growing an affinity for the hard-working mindset of the average Venetian. Leonardo was simply a lover of life: wherever it dwelled, he would find a place to sit and marvel at it.

The old pier had become such a place. Since the supports were coated with algae, and the visible wood appeared an unattractively dark color (not to mention several missing planks), the dock authorities had deemed it a hazard for any boat. However, sitting was permitted. As long as you didn't take too many people with you.

It was here that Leonardo asked Ezio to meet him after hearing of the engagement. The move was so sudden, so random, that Leonardo refused to believe Ezio had no reasonable explanation for it. As the man's best friend and roommate of two years, the painter had a right to know.

So, when the younger man finally approached and swung his legs over the side of the rotting wood, Leonardo kept a firm demeanor. For a few moments, silence- or the Venetian version of silence- spoke for both of them. Ezio's weary expression suggested he already knew what Leonardo wanted to ask.

"I heard you are to be married," Leonardo began emotionlessly.

Ezio nodded.

"Why so suddenly? What of your 'expedition'?"

Your, not our.

The Auditore sighed, "Leonardo… I think I'm going to stop exploring."

"Any special reason?"

Ezio responded to each question as though it were a life or death situation. "I'm going to settle down."

"You speak as though you were twenty years older." Leonardo stated. Ezio had no reply.

Leonardo grew tired of his resigned stillness. "Do you even know her?"

"Yes, I do," Ezio snapped, turning to his friend in frustration, not anger, "and she is a very nice woman. I don't deserve her."

"Ezio," Leonardo's features softened and he raised a hand to his friend's shoulder. "I know you better than anyone. You can tell me the truth, get it all off your chest. I will listen."

Ezio sighed again and stared into the algae-bloated water.

"It's about Rosa…"

"The mermaid?"

"Yes," He nodded, "I want to forget about her."

"_Dio mio, _Ezio, why? You two are so well together!" Leonardo was genuinely surprised. The man speaking did not seem as childish as the usual Ezio.

"Because I can't love her!" he cried, "I want to! With all my heart, _Dio caro, _I want to. But it's impossible! Just think about it for a moment, Leonardo: we are too different. There is no logical future for us."

"Love isn't always logical…" Leonardo reasoned gently.

"No," Ezio shook his head, "I can't drift aimlessly forever. Even after Rosa tells me she will never be able love me, I can't wander around in search of work. I'm done with it all."

"And so by marrying Sofia, you're giving in?" Leonardo finished.

Ezio said nothing.

"This isn't about Rosa. This isn't about Sofia. This is about you." Leonardo realized, "This is all about you!"

"What can I say?" Ezio replied with a weak smile, "I'm a selfish and complicated person."

Leonardo saw he would not win this one. Ezio seemed completely set on ruining his life, mired too deeply in self-pity to acknowledge any way around it.

Finally, he gave one last effort, "Will you at least come with me to say goodbye?"

"Goodbye? To whom?"

"Well, since the expedition is ending," Leonardo shrugged, "I would like to say a final farewell to our mermaid friend."

"Yes," Ezio said slowly, nodding, "That's a good idea. Then…Then I can explain to her why I'll never be back." _Not that it'll matter, _he added bitterly.

Leonardo stood, stretching his sleepy limbs for a moment, "Then we'd best get going. I don't know how long the nice weather will last."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

When they'd first entered the boat, Ezio didn't notice the sketches. But as time went by, and Venice's port disappeared behind them, he realized that the splayed sheathes of paper hanging out of his companion's bag were actually very accurate portrayals of Rosa's legs. He nearly gawped at the insanely neat diagrams (all notes were illegible, courtesy of Leonardo's mirror-script) and beautiful drawings. It was almost as though Leonardo had drawn a thousand different mermaids, instead of just one.

"Leonardo," Ezio began cautiously as they drifted towards their destination, "How were you able to capture such detail without getting in the water?"

Leonardo merely grinned, "I have my ways, Ezio, I have my ways. Now why don't you focus on sailing, hmm?"

Ezio would've inquired further, but Leonardo was right. They were nearly there, and his anxiety to see Rosa had doubled since they'd hopped into the gondola. He hadn't even brought anything with him, as he hadn't been expecting to leave… But he had to see Rosa. He had to at least try to explain to her.

The Auditore ceased his rowing and the gondola slowly came to a halt. They had arrived. Leonardo reacted to this by very calmly pulling out some paper and a charcoal pen, but Ezio was a little less patient. He leaned over the side of the boat, squinting into the unusually dark water. Clear skies had looked down on them when they left port, but now the blue had faded to light shade of grey, and the sun shined through a smog of clouds. Finally, after several minutes of waiting motionlessly, Ezio grew restless.

"Rosa!" He called, hoping that somehow his voice could penetrate the water un-muffled, "Rosa!"

Leonardo watched silently as Ezio gritted his teeth and tried again, "Rosa!" No response. The green-capped mermaid was not one to keep them waiting, not anymore.

Ezio turned to his friend, edgy, "You think something's wrong?"

"I couldn't say," Leonardo shrugged, "Perhaps she's just being held up?"

Ezio considered it, but for some reason didn't quite believe it. He tried calling her one more time, but still there was no answer.

"Just wait, Ezio," Leonardo urged, looking up from his sketch for a moment, "Give her a few more minutes."

The younger reluctantly agreed and sat on the bench, tapping his fingers on his knees. Time seemed almost still, as though out on the ocean it never passes. The foggy sky made it impossible to tell whether the sun had moved an inch, and the air was thickening. This was unmistakably storm weather, and it didn't do anything to encourage Ezio to be patient. He twitched, fidgeted, tapped his foot, anything just to faintly entertain himself. And still Rosa showed no sign of her approach.

Leonardo relented, "Alright, I may have been wrong. She may not come. Do you want to go home, Ezio?"

He shook his head quickly, "No, I'm going to talk to her."

"I understand."

Finally, Ezio couldn't take the waiting any longer. He bent down, undid the laces of his boots, and set to work removing his shirt.

"You're going in after her?" Leonardo asked quietly.

"Yes," Ezio replied, bracing himself for the leap into the water. He put one foot over the edge, about to slide in, when Leonardo stopped him.

"Ezio?" the man turned his head and noticed Leonardo staring at him, a certain firmness in his blue eyes that hadn't been there previously, "Try not to drown, okay?"

"Okay," Ezio nodded, smiling. Leonardo swiftly returned to his drawing.

The Auditore slid into the ocean and dove under, getting a good look at his surroundings. The water wasn't as easy to see through as he remembered it, but then again, Rosa had always been there before. He kicked his legs, propelling himself deeper into the sea. They were not so far away from shore that he could look straight into the black abyss of the ocean floor, but the sandy bottom was quite far from the surface. Ezio could hardly make out what looked like a hole in the rocky ground, and if he'd had some more air he might've made a dash for it.

Instead he twisted and kicked downwards, moving up towards the gondola's silhouette. His head broke the surface with a loud splash, startling the poor artist sitting merely a foot away.

"Back so soon?" Leonardo asked with arched brows.

"Leonardo," Ezio sputtered, water still clogging his ears, "I think I found the entrance to an air pocket- I'm going to try for it. Rosa might be there."

"Alright," Leonardo replied, "See you soon, _amico mio."_

Ezio filled his lungs with salty air before diving beneath the waves. Not sparing a moment to look around, he swam straight down, heading for the sandy shelf. The Auditore had always been an exceptional swimmer, and the hole he'd spied earlier did indeed turn out to be a cave entrance. Ezio was making good time and had almost reached the bottom when something penetrated his veil of concentration.

He looked up to find two shadows moving towards him rapidly. The water dulled his senses, and instead of fear he felt merely curious of these objects. He didn't realize what danger they posed until it was too late.

By the time the cloudy liquid had cleared enough for Ezio to see that they were in fact mermen, they were already upon him. Cold, scaly hands grabbed his arms and dragged him effortlessly away from the hole. Ezio's eyes widened as the mermen's grip tightened, and he attempted to struggle. He could feel his arms numbing from the sheer cold, and his lungs began to ache. The strangers only pulled him further down into the misty water, where his sight quickly diminished until he could hardly see his legs dangling above him. Ezio held on for as long as he could, still weakly attempting to kick himself free, though at the same time he admired the beautiful sails of the mermen's tails.

Whether Ezio had finally lost consciousness or they had simply entered an underground cavern was hard to tell, but either way, everything went black…

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

As the dark edges receded from his vision, Ezio found himself staring at a jagged surface with teary eyes, vomiting water. There was a hand on his back, thumping him to force the suffocating liquid out. Ezio began to cough more forcefully and soon he was able to breath, though raggedly.

Sharp nails pulled at his shoulders and hoisted him up, supporting him for a brief moment as his knees wobbled. Ezio took the time to observe his environment. It was another lagoon, though much bigger than the one Rosa usually took him to. In fact, it seemed to be populated by a large number of merpeople, all staring at him. Some looked horrified, others looked disgusted.

Ezio turned to his captors, studying them. The first seemed utterly vacant, but the second was much more animated. His dark curly hair almost blocked out his grey eyes, which he used to scowl malevolently at Ezio. His mouth was pulled into the ugliest sneer possible, and his entire visage just cried: 'I hate you. Go die'.

Suddenly, the attention in the room shifted to the opposite end, where another merman was entering. This one was clearly different from the others, an authorative figure, possibly. He wore a sort of circlet atop his black, wavy hair, and he moved with grace across the stones of the lagoon. His eyes were dark and watchful, though his expression was blank. When he approached, Ezio was forced by the guards to kneel.

"What are you called?" The new merman asked coldly.

"Ezio," he replied, "sir." Ezio added nervously. Something about this man was just commanding. "And what do I call you?"

The merman seemed off-put by his question, but answered nonetheless. "By the few men who have known me, I have been called Antonio."

"It is…an honor to meet you, Antonio." Ezio said awkwardly.

"And what is your purpose here?" Antonio asked, and Ezio could feel his gaze even though he could not look up.

"I came to-"

"-Father!"

As the mermaid ran in, dozens of pairs of eyes whirled to lock on her. The young woman seemed out of breath as she came, hurling towards Antonio.

"Father, I'm sorry, but-" She stopped suddenly as she noticed Ezio. Ezio shook the guards' grip enough to look up at her, and when he did he couldn't stop himself from blurting:

"Rosa!"

Rosa's jaw dropped and she stared at him in complete bewilderment, "Ezio?" she mouthed.

Antonio did not take to this development kindly, "I see you've met my daughter." He stated icily.


	6. V

Ezio and Rosa continued to stare at each other, aghast, until Antonio broke the silence.

"My child," his question was addressed to Rosa, who hesitantly faced him. "You know of my laws."

"Yes, father," she whispered, "I do."

"Do you know this man?" He continued, voice colder than ice. Rosa did not reply, only stood paralyzed in her father's glare.

"Stop," Ezio interrupted weakly, raising his head in an effort to express his desperation, "Do not punish her! It's…It's my fault! She didn't want to meet with me, she told me of her rules-"

"Yet she did not push you away and she did not drown you." Antonio snapped angrily, then to Rosa said, "Did you? Did you meet with this man?"

"Yes." She answered finally. The room had gone completely quiet, and the merfolk showed no reaction to these words.

Antonio turned to Ezio, whose nerves were almost reaching the same petrified level as Rosa's.

The merman spread his hand out to his daughter and asked, "Do you know this woman?"

"Yes." Ezio replied without hesitation.

At this, Antonio's harsh exterior began to melt. Soon he no longer looked furious, but aggrieved. He returned to speaking with his daughter.

"Child," he said softly, "If you have interacted with an Earth-walker, the punishment is exile. Your fins will be cut and you will be an outcast. I-" he paused and swallowed hard, "I will never see you again. I cannot make an exception for my own daughter, child."

Antonio looked down for a moment, and when eye contact was re-established, his were brimmed with tears.

"I love you," he spoke clearly, "so I will ask you one more time. Daughter, do you know this man?"

Rosa blinked hard, trying to keep her own tears from spilling out. So many thoughts whizzed through her head- the choice was simple. The consequences were not so.

The room waited patiently, though the silence was another type of torture. Even before she said it, Ezio knew her response. He bowed his head in defeat, and when she spoke the words, he was not surprised. She was given a second chance, and there was no reason why she should not take it.

"No, father," her voice wavered, "I do not know him."

"Very well," Antonio nodded, relief visibly flooding him. To the guards, he ordered, "Take him to the Earth-walker cell while I decide what is to be done to him."

As Ezio was dragged across the lagoon he felt countless eyes burning into him, but a single green pair were the only ones that hurt.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The cell was moist, but relatively dry. The rocks that composed its floor were mostly smooth, polished by thousands of water droplets from the ceiling over many years. Some seaweed bloomed through a crack in the wall at the other end, but a cell was still a cell. An old, tattered fishing net kept Ezio from walking free, pinned against the sides of the cavern. If only he'd had something sharp, he could easily have freed himself…

However, a quick search found nothing of use in the cage, and soon afterwards Ezio resigned to lying down, defeated. There was no escape, but it didn't bother him as much as it should've.

It bothered him, ironically, that Rosa saved herself instead of choosing exile with him. Perhaps he had been right after all- she really didn't love him as much as he thought. But if that was the case, why did he still feel so damaged? He shouldn't care, in any case. He only came here to tell her he was going to get married to someone else.

Then she would be the one to feel this pain…

"Wonderful, Ezio," he muttered to himself as he frowned up at the ceiling, "great going. Now nobody likes you."

"Shut up." His merguard snapped.

Ezio sat up to stare at the young merman. He stared back, still as vicious and angry as he had been when Ezio had first appeared.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Ezio asked for lack of a better time-killer.

"I don't hate you," the guard shook his head. Ezio snorted. "I am just very irritated."

"Why are you very irritated?" Ezio pressed on.

"Because!" The guard replied, sending him a particularly evil glare, "I was very carefully courting the king's daughter, and then suddenly she stopped having anything to do with me! And now I know why…"

Ezio laughed bitterly and lay back down.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry I stole the king's daughter from you," Ezio smiled emptily, "you can have her back. You probably haven't heard the news, but I'm getting married soon. To another Earth-walker."

"You are?" For a moment, the merman seemed completely taken aback, "But then…Why are you here? Why did you come back to see her?"

Ezio shrugged, staring at the ceiling once more. There was a snail there that he hadn't noticed previously. "Because I love her."

He could feel the merguard's eyes on him for a while longer before he finally turned his back. With nothing better to do than wait, Ezio closed his eyes and hoped sleep would free him from this nightmare…

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

His ears awoke before his eyes opened. There was a noise, a faint cutting…The hissing of a knife on rope…

Ezio snapped awake, staring in disbelief as Rosa finished creating a hole in the net. His jaw dropped and he tried to say something, but the mermaid silenced him with a finger on his lips.

"Listen closely, Ezio," she whispered, "Two guards will enter this room in a few minutes. They have orders to drown you. But the-"

"Rosa," He pushed her hand away from him, "I have to tell you something."

"Ezio, I know you're getting married." Rosa said quietly.

Somehow, he wasn't surprised. It's natural for her to know, isn't it? She is Rosa, after all.

"Then why?" His gaze lowered to the ground and Ezio felt ashamed, "Why bother to save me? I threw you away…"

"_Caro,_" she spoke gently and full of caring, something Ezio had rarely seen her do, "I don't care. Once I get you out of here you can go marry her. You will be happy and that's all that matters." Rosa swallowed and blinked, hesitating. Then she said, "I don't care about the exile and I don't care about the lagoon. It was boring here anyway. I just…" She paused again, and when she picked up this time her voice cracked, "I just don't want you to die."

There were no words. Ezio could not think of anything suitable to respond with to such an incredible display of loyalty. In that moment, as she sat nearly on top of his prone body, eyes closed in composition, he realized he had been wrong about Sofia.

When he raised himself and closed the distance between them with a kiss, the guilty, sinking feeling in his stomach vanished. Rosa returned the kiss by taking his face in her hands, deepening it. For a few seconds, the two were completely unaware of the world around them. It didn't matter who was human and who wasn't. It mattered that they were alone together, and that they were in love.

Rosa was the one to end it.

"You're going to escape, Ezio." She said solemnly, "And you're going to do it right now."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The water was much colder than it had been previously, and it stung his skin like needles when Rosa pulled him in. Once they were submerged, the chaotic, echoed shouts of the lagoon disappeared and were replaced with the rushing of liquid in his ears. Rosa was every bit the fast swimmer he remembered, but that didn't change the fact that the guards were right behind them and gaining.

Faded sunlight barely lit the water as the chase continued. As Rosa neared the surface, Ezio deduced that the sun had set nearly an hour ago.

A splash sent liquid flying everywhere as Rosa hurled him at the barrier. Ezio gulped air desperately as the mermaid surfaced beside him.

"Where is your friend?" Rosa cried.

"Leonardo-" Ezio coughed and frantically searched the horizon. Leonardo and the gondola were both long gone. "Rosa, he left!"

"Okay, then what now?"

She was right. Surely the guards were nearing the surface at that very moment. Ezio thought, though it was difficult with the waves pushing him under.

"Venice!" He shouted, receiving a mouthful of salt for his trouble, "Rosa, Venice!"

The mermaid gave no reply and instead pulled him beneath the surface, looping his arm with hers. She was about to take off when a cold grip suddenly enveloped Ezio's foot.

His air escaped him when his jaw dropped in shock, and he shook the locked appendage desperately in an effort to free himself. Something sharp dragged itself against his leg, slipping past fabric and lacerating skin.

A final tug from Rosa broke him from the mermen's grasp and suddenly the water was flashing past him. The blood from Ezio's wound streamed behind them like a red flag as they zoomed across the sea. Ezio's lungs began to ache, and the rushing in his ears started to fade. For the remainder of the dreamlike escape, he felt as though he were flying, flying so amazingly fast… Just as he began to tumble into darkness, he found himself thrust upon the surface once more and forcing air into his tired chest.

"We're here, Ezio," Rosa told him, haphazardly supporting him in the water, as his injured leg had numbed. When he looked up, he noticed she was right- the city loomed over them, and several ships sailed in the distance. None were close enough to get a good look at the two figures in the water, however, because Rosa had chosen an old, algae-encrusted vacant pier for her approach.

Except it wasn't entirely vacant. Perched on its tip, with his boots hanging off the end, a blonde man with a red had cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled down to them.

"Hello down there!"


	7. Epilogue

"So what now?" Ezio asked, pulling the thin blanket tighter around himself as the evening chill set in.

Leonardo folded his hands in his lap and sighed, kicking his feet lightly in the water. Rosa had both arms draped across the canal's tiny stairway and her head rested on its lowest step.

"Rosa," Leonardo said softly, causing the mermaid to raise herself, "You know you can't go home. You will have to remain in _Venezia _now."

"Yes," She replied, gaze lowering itself once more, "I know." Disappointment.

"And you, Ezio," Leonardo turned to him, "You've had quite a few visitors during your vacancy. I took names, and a large portion of them are related to your bride-to-be. It would be in your best interest to speak with them-"

"Of course, Leonardo, of course." Ezio muttered, waving a hand.

Suddenly, the artist lit up, "Oh! Rosa, I'm sorry, did you-?"

"It's alright, Leonardo, I know." Rosa reassured him, "And I wanted to add that the marriage is very blessed indeed. I wish our friend much happiness and a long life."

Ezio said nothing, and Rosa's comment hung limply in the night air. The silence stretched on until Leonardo finally cleared his throat.

"Well, I'd best be heading back to the workshop," He grunted as he stood, "You, too, Ezio."

"What about me?" Rosa asked tiredly, looking up at the man with hollow green eyes.

"I think for now you should stay in the canals," Leonardo suggested, "If you're careful, you won't be noticed. Give me some time, _signora, _I will find a solution to your problem."

"_Va bene,_" Rosa answered and watched as the genius turned to walk away. However before he'd taken two steps, he stopped.

"Rosa?" He pivoted halfway, so that she could see the seriousness in his eyes, "Thank you for saving him."

"Go to sleep, Leonardo." Was all she said.

Once Leonardo was gone, the silence returned. After a while, Ezio found that Venice became quite cold at night for those not wearing proper clothing. But before he left, he too had some words for the mermaid.

"Rosa, I-" he hesitated, "Thank you. But about Sofia…"

"It's fine, Ezio," She told him smiling, "I love you. And I don't care if you're married or not."

Ezio grinned, exhausted though he was. She had finally learned his level of commitment. Not only that, but she understood it as well.

"I love you too."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Several weeks later…

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The ceiling was a very interesting shade of beige. The perfect blend of yellows, browns, and whites created the most boring color ever imagined. But that wasn't all there was to enjoy. The ceiling also featured different sized lumps of paint, elegant slices of wood where the paper peeled, and what appeared to be a squashed insect of some kind.

However the ceiling, beautiful and unique though it was, could not distract Ezio from the outstanding thought that he was getting married tomorrow.

Despite being engaged, Ezio still did not live with Sofia. Apparently, the Sorto family believed that a couple should not become intimate until after they had exchanged vows, lest the woman be impregnated early. In fact, Ezio hadn't actually spoken to his bride in quite a while, as she was very concerned about the wedding. To her parents' surprise, Sofia nearly took charge of the entire operation- and preferred that the men stay far away from it.

Ezio's thoughts drifted from Sofia, to the wedding, to the elaborate outfit Leonardo had given to him as a gift, to children, to Venice, and somehow to Rosa.

In the past few weeks, as Ezio was unofficially forbidden from the wedding preparations, the two had spent a lot of time talking in the canals. When they weren't talking, the man and the mermaid discovered that they both had an immense love for pranks and tricks. This quickly escalated to some of the greatest hoaxes either had ever had the ability to pull.

The joke they pulled most often could be repeated in any district with a large bridge. Ezio would stand at the bridge's edge, singing eloquently written poetry to _Venezia _about the beauties she possessed, and Rosa would either interrupted or join in the song from under the bridge. Passersby would be momentarily stunned that the city responded to its own praise, and if any tried to check for an accomplice under the water, Rosa could easily escape. The expressions were priceless, and the prank itself was amazing fun to pull off.

The chats they had were also pleasurable. Every day the mermaid would complain of the water's slickness, or its smell, or some other reason why Venice's grand canals were truly the sewage dumps of the century. Her whining would always make him smile, as none of it was serious. He knew her that well. And it reminded him of his first visit to the floating city, many years ago. The stench was always what got to him first.

But he presumed that these meetings would end now that he was getting married. He'd have a household to attend to, a wife to entertain… And in the end, Rosa was just a fish. She would never leave the canal. But nothing could force Ezio to sever the tight bond of friendship they most certainly had, not even marriage.

Gentle knocking pushed him from his thoughts and made him lower his stare from the ceiling. The door creaked open and Leonardo poked his head in.

"Ezio, you're still awake?" he asked.

"_Si,_" the Auditore answered with a shrug, "I have a lot on my mind right now."

Leonardo laughed, "I don't doubt it. However you really should try and get some sleep. You will sorely need it tomorrow."

"Of course. Goodnight, my oldest friend."

"Goodnight."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Bells tolled, informing the public that the hour was now seven. The wedding was not schedule to commence for several more, but Ezio found he did not have the will to sleep in. He had tried to return to the troubleless world of sleep, but it had proved impossible. As he marched down the misty streets, he told himself that it was best to simply get it over with.

Birds and bells. Boats and waves. These sounds were his only companions as he approached the chapel where no one had yet arrived. He was so early not even the musicians had come to set up.

As he rested his hands on the doors, he was surprised he had never heard of the church before. Sofia did not pick _San Giacomo, _or the _Frara, _or any other famous landmark. She picked only the simplest, smallest church for her wedding.

When Ezio swung the ancient oak doors open, he could understand why. The place had a certain charm, something that made its humble appearance satisfying. As he expected, the inside was deserted, though there was evidence of a massive cleaning yesterday. No one was there except…

If he squinted, Ezio could see a pale figure at the end of the aisle. In its flowing white robe, the shadow was easily camouflaged, but the close he came the easier it was to recognize. Sofia.

It figured she would be as early as he would, as she was the coordinator. She was so excited she already wore the wedding gown, complete with veil. But Ezio couldn't blame her. He too was wearing formal attire.

As he strode down the carpet, Ezio tried to put a smile on his face, though he knew it must look forced. Rosa would notice and ask why, but Sofia wouldn't care. She was too preoccupied today.

Finally he reached the end. The groom put his hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him, reaching for the veil and gently tugging it down.

"Good morning, my love."

Ezio felt his jaw hit the floor. His eyes were bulging out of his head and soon would plop on the carpet next to it.

"R-R-Rosa?" His mind shattered and sentences could no longer be formed. Fragments swam past incomplete.

"What, you don't like it?" Rosa grinned, pulling at the wedding gown daintily.

"Where did-?" He stuttered, "Who gave-? What did you-?"

"Come on, what is it?" Her smile widened and widened.

"Rosa, HOW?" The question, or demand, finally escaped him.

She didn't answer. Instead there was laughter. Amused laughter coming from the church's side entrance, where Leonardo was just making his presence known.

"Leonardo…?" Ezio whispered in disbelief.

"Ezio, my friend," Leonardo approached him with a slap on the back, which rattled the poor Auditore to the core, "I'm afraid I told a little white lie."

"What?"

"You see," he continued, "those anatomy studies…Those pictures you found in my shop? They didn't come from Rosa. None of them did- in fact, she made me swear not to touch a hair on her head."

"Huh?"

"Allow me to introduce a close friend," Leonardo explained, and then whistled.

Through the side door, a young man with curly blonde hair and a crooked smile made his way in. He had a slightly odd gait, but this detail was wasted on the stunned groom.

"Please meet Salai," Leonardo said with flourish, "a former merman."

"Replacing Sofia with Rosa was my idea," Salai grinned, "and the dress- you should have seen your face!"

"Salai came to me on the third day of our expedition," Leonardo began, "He was a very ambitious merman, and he explained to me that he had been exiled from his village. He wanted to experience human life for himself. He wanted to be somewhere where his talents would be appreciated."

"And the food is edible and clothing is made of silk." Salai added briefly.

"I agreed to help him to the greatest of my ability, and so he allowed me to study him. It was a…painful process, but eventually I learned enough to discover that there is a way to remove fins and scales without harming the bone structure or skin. You see, the mermaids' flesh is very adapted to cool-"

"Leonardo," Ezio interrupted sharply, "I really don't want to know. But thank you." Ezio breathed in and smiled at his genius of a best friend, "thank you so much."

"Oh, _di niente,_" Leonardo blushed and folded his hands.

"Hey, idiot!" Rosa snapped, "I'm still here, you know!"

"So you are," Ezio turned back to his lover and fastened his hands around her smooth-skinned waist, "So you are…"

It was Rosa who went in for the kiss first, but Ezio caught on so fast it was easily forgotten. Rosa leaned into him, still somewhat shaky on her less sturdy human legs, and Ezio welcomed her. As the kiss deepened she laced her fingers in his hair and moaned, allowing him to slide his tongue into her mouth.

"Just look at them," Salai commented to his master after a few seconds, "so uncivilized. I learned quickly that humanity is not at all what I expected."

"Me too, Salai," Leonardo sighed, patting the young man on the shoulder.

"Hey!" Salai shouted, approaching the two impatiently, "Finish up, please? I would like to remind Ezio that his bride will be arriving in a few minutes!"

Ezio looked at him, dazed. Then he shook his head and told him quietly, "She's already here."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The church was still empty when the Sorto family arrived. Contrary to Ezio's beliefs, Sofia was not present when they opened the chapel doors. However, as the servants began clearing the area for the wedding, they did find one thing.

A single white rose sat by the altar, waiting patiently for its namesake to return.


End file.
